Daily Lesson

 

 Lessons 270

I will not use the body's eyes today.

*IAMBIC PENTAMETER*

What is 'Iambic Pentameter'?

ORIGINAL HAND SCRIPT ~ November 21, 1970       

    Father, Christ's vision is Your gift to me,

    and it has power to translate all that

    the body's eyes behold into the sight

    of a forgiven world. How glorious

    and gracious is this world! Yet how much more

    will I perceive in it than sight can give.

    The world forgiven signifies Your Son

    acknowledges his Father, lets his dreams

    be brought to truth, and waits expectantly

    the one remaining instant more of time,

    which ends forever as Your memory

    returns to him. And now his will is one

    with Yours. His function now is [one with Yours],

    and every thought except Your own is gone.

   The quiet of today will bless our hearts,

   and through them peace will come to everyone.

   Christ is our eyes today. And through His sight

   we offer healing to the world through Him,

   the holy Son whom God created whole;

   the holy Son whom God created one.

What is the Body?

*IAMBIC PENTAMETER*

What is 'Iambic Pentameter'?

ORIGINAL HAND SCRIPT   

   The body is a fence the Son of God

   imagines he has built to separate

   parts of his Self from other parts. It is

   within this fence he thinks he lives, to die

   as it decays and crumbles. For within

   this fence he thinks that he is safe from love.

   Identifying with <its safety>, he

   regards himself as <what his safety is>.

   How else could he be certain he remains

   within the body, keeping love outside?

   The body will not stay. Yet this he sees

   as double safety. For the Son of God's

   impermanence is "proof" his fences work,

   and do the task his mind [assigned] to them.

   For if his oneness still remained untouched,

   who could attack and who could be attacked?

   Who could be victor? Who could be his prey?

   Who could be victim? Who the murderer?

   And if he did not die, what proof is there

   that God's eternal Son [has] been destroyed?

   The body is a dream. Like other dreams,

   it sometimes seems to picture happiness,

   but can quite suddenly revert to fear,

   where every dream is born. For only love

   creates in truth, and truth can never fear.

   Made to be fearful, must the body serve

   the purpose given it. But we can change

   the purpose [which] the body will obey

   by changing what we think that it is for.

   The body is the means by which God's Son

   returns to sanity. Though it was made

   to fence him into hell without escape,

   yet has the goal of Heaven been exchanged

   for the pursuit of hell. The Son of God

   extends his hand to reach his brother, and

   to help him walk along the road with him.

   Now is the body holy. Now it serves

   to heal the mind that it was made to kill.

   You will identify with what you think

   will make you safe. Whatever it may be,

   you will believe that it is one with you.

   Your safety lies in truth and not in lies.

   Love is your safety. Fear does not exist.

   Identify with love, and you are safe.

   Identify with love, and you are home.

   Identify with love, and find your Self.

ACIM Edmonton - Sarah's Reflections 

 LESSON 270
I will not use the body's eyes today.

What Jesus is talking to us about here is a different way of seeing. It is seeing through the eyes of Christ. It is an internal experience of the mind. Everything we see with our body's eyes brings us back information about the world where we see what is not there and is not real. It is a world of form-of sickly images with meaning given them by our minds. When we see with Christ's vision, everything we see is translated into a forgiven world that is both glorious and gracious. That is not the way we see when we see with the body's eyes. We see differences; we make comparisons; we see that which we judge beautiful and that which we judge ugly;  that which we like and that which we don't like; and whatever will promote our own ego at the expense of others.

 In Chapter 31.VI "Recognizing the Spirit," Jesus says that we see the body or we recognize Spirit. There is no compromise between the two. Our whole world depends on this choice. There is no escape from the reality of this illusion if we choose to maintain the ego thought system as true. It is not that we won't see the body anymore when the mind is healed, but that Christ's vision will have replaced our judgments.  In other words we see the forgiven world-a world of innocence and holiness not seen by the body's eyes. What the body's eyes see, and the wrong mind interprets, obscures this forgiven world because now we see a world of attack, defense, competition, and differences.

But how can we see this forgiven world? How do we get to this kind of seeing which is Christ's vision, given to us as a gift from our Father? It is through the process given us in this course of mindful awareness. As we watch our thoughts, we bring them to the Holy Spirit so that our wrong-minded perceptions can be healed. This is course-based forgiveness.  Everywhere we look with the body's eyes we see our own thoughts reflected back to us. So now Jesus is asking us to survey our inner world, letting whatever thoughts cross the mind, to come into awareness, and watch these thoughts without attaching to them so we can enter the quiet space within where the truth is. And throughout the day whenever anything upsets us, we are asked to take responsibility for our upsets and look at them honestly and be willing to have them released by turning them over to the Holy Spirit/Jesus, (whichever symbol of love in the mind we turn to for help). When we willingly give these thoughts over to the Holy Spirit, our minds will be washed of the perceptions that we hold and now and space is made for vision when interferences have been removed. 

We mostly believe that there are no options to our state of mind. We accept the way we see things and the way we feel-mostly as victims of this world-someone to whom things are done to with no choice on our part.  We succumb to our wrong-minded thinking about the situation   as if our reactions were all natural and normal.  And thus we react with anger, frustration, disappointment, embarrassment, sadness-any number of emotions that we consider to be normal responses to a disappointing world. And we justify those reactions explaining why they are perfectly reasonable! 

But our state of consciousness is actually just an execution of an option. It is a choice. As David Hawkins says in "The Eye of the I," we are not ruled by the mind. What the mind reveals is an endless stream of options all disguised as memories, fantasies, fears, concepts etc. See it all as a cafeteria of selections wending their way across the screen of the mind.  Thus, we are not forced to feel resentment by a negative memory. And we don't have to buy into a fearful thought about the future. These are just options. The secret attraction of the option is the inner payoff or secret satisfaction. We just need to refuse these payoffs. Behind this screen of thoughts is the free space of joy. It is this that is available to us above all the other tempting options. It is important to recognize how much we love the payoff. We hang onto the negativity because want the payoff. We feel justified in our resentments, self pity, anger, martyrdom, jealousy. But there is a choice only as long as we are willing to give up the payoff. It is when we recognize that the payoff is actually suffering.  Perception (as a result of our eyes and senses) tells us that the world is large, powerful and permanent while our self is small, weak and transitory when, in fact, the opposite is true. Who we are is all-powerful and the world is nothing.

In Chapter 25.II "Savior from the Dark" Jesus asks us "Is it not evident that what the body's eyes perceive fills you with fear? Perhaps you think you find a hope of satisfaction there. Perhaps you fancy to attain some peace and satisfaction in the world as you perceive it. Yet it must be evident that the outcome does not change. Despite your hopes and fancies, always does despair result. And there is no exception, nor will there ever be. The only value that the past can hold is that you learn it gave you no rewards which you would want to keep. For only thus will you be willing to relinquish it and have it gone forever."  (T.25.II.1.) So without this motivation for healing, we will continue to cling to our hopes that there is something in this world that will bring us some satisfaction.

So what is it that brings us to vision? It is a willingness to forgive instead of to hate and condemn; it is the desire to understand rather than to judge; peace is preferred over stimulation and excitement; humility is valued with the realization we have been wrong about everything we perceive; the realization that nothing in the world brings satisfaction-not our special relationships, nor money, power, fame; and there is no seeking or striving by the personal self, to become enlightened. In other words, our motivation to be taught becomes very compelling.

What our eyes show us is the ego's interpretation of the world we see. Thus we see differences; we see those we like and those we dislike; we see victims and victimizers; we see those we judge as good and those we judge as evil; and we see those who are sick and suffer.  We misperceive everything we see when we look through the body's eyes. When we realize that we are only seeing error, we can ask for help to see through His eyes. We can ask for His interpretation recognizing that our own will always be wrong. Now we can overlook the error. "To forgive is to overlook."   Jesus tells us to "look then, beyond error and do not let your perception rest upon it for you will believe what your perception holds."  (T.9.IV.1.3) And we certainly do. We say things like 'seeing is believing.' But the only way we can know ourselves as the Christ is to see our brother as sinless. And to do so is to overlook his errors. Yet, Jesus tells us that we don't know how to overlook errors or we would not make them. So we can't correct ourselves. What we are asked to do instead is to bring awareness to our errors and turn them over to the Holy Spirit Who will shine them away. The ego will never undo itself.  We must let our dreams be brought to truth. This requires willingness and humility. For only when we our willing to surrender our way, will we turn to Him.

Our willingness today is demonstrated in our determination and discipline to apply the lesson.   Recognize that what you see with your eyes, and the meaning you give to your seeing, blocks Christ's vision. Be willing to be shown another way. We can't do it on our own, for on our own means we are aligning with the ego and putting the ego in charge. It will be done through us as we surrender  our way. Affirm today that Christ's vision is how I choose today to see this person, this event, this situation. I am willing to release that which my eyes show me as true. I am willing to give over my own interpretation of what I see and ask for help to have this situation reinterpreted by One Who does know.  I am willing to ask for help that I might see with the eyes of Christ.

Love and blessings, Sarah 

huemmert@shaw.ca

Quotes in this article are from Foundation for Inner Peace edition; To locate the same quotes in the 'Original Edition', use this link:  http://www.jcim.net/acim_us/Acim.php    

A Course in Miracles   
TEXT  

Chapter Twenty Five                

The Remedy 

IX. The Principle of Salvation     

⁶³ The Holy Spirit can use all that you give to Him for your salvation. But He cannot use what you withhold, for He cannot take it from you without your willingness. For if He did, you would believe He wrested it from you against your will. And so you would not learn it is your will to be without it. You need not give it to Him wholly willingly, for if you could, you'd have no need of Him. But this He needs-that you prefer He take it than that you keep it for yourself alone and recognize that what brings loss to no one you would not know. This much is necessary to add to the idea no one can lose for you to gain. And nothing more.

⁶⁴ Here is the only principle salvation needs. Nor is it necessary that your faith in it be strong, unswerving, and without attack from all beliefs opposed to it. You have no fixed allegiance. But remember salvation is not needed by the saved. You are not called upon to do what one divided still against himself would find impossible. Have little faith that wisdom could be found in such a state of mind. But be you thankful that only little faith is asked of you. What but a little faith remains to those who still believe in sin? What could they know of Heaven and the justice of the saved?

⁶⁵ There is a kind of justice in salvation of which the world knows nothing. To the world, justice and vengeance are the same, for sinners see justice only as their punishment, perhaps sustained by someone else but not escaped. The laws of sin demand a victim. Who it may be makes little difference. But death must be the cost and must be paid. This is not justice but insanity. Yet how could justice be defined without insanity where love means hate and death is seen as victory and triumph over eternity and timelessness and life?

⁶⁶ You who know not of justice still can ask and learn the answer. Justice looks on all in the same way. It is not just that one should lack for what another has. For that is vengeance in whatever form it takes. Justice demands no sacrifice, for any sacrifice is made that sin may be preserved and kept. It is a payment offered for the cost of sin, but not the total cost. The rest is taken from another, to be laid beside your little payment to "atone" for all that you would keep and not give up. So is the victim seen as partly you, with someone else by far the greater part. And in the total cost, the greater his, the less is yours. And justice, being blind, is satisfied by being paid, it matters not by whom. Can this be justice? God knows not of this. But justice does He know and knows it well. For He is wholly fair to everyone.

⁶⁷ Vengeance is alien to God's Mind because He knows of justice. To be just is to be fair and not be vengeful. Fairness and vengeance are impossible, for each one contradicts the other and denies that it is real. It is impossible for you to share the Holy Spirit's justice with a mind that can conceive of specialness at all. Yet how could He be just if He condemns a sinner for the crimes he did not do but thinks he did? And where would justice be if He demanded of the ones obsessed with the idea of punishment that they lay it aside unaided and perceive it is not true? It is extremely hard for those who still believe sin meaningful to understand the Holy Spirit's justice.

⁶⁸ They must believe He shares their own confusion and cannot avoid the vengeance that their own belief in justice must entail. And so they fear the Holy Spirit and perceive the "wrath" of God in Him. Nor can they trust Him not to strike them dead with lightning bolts torn from the "fires" of Heaven by God's own angry hand. They do believe that Heaven is hell and are afraid of love. And deep suspicion and the chill of fear comes over them when they are told that they have never sinned. Their world depends on sin's stability. And they perceive the "threat" of what God knows as justice to be more destructive to themselves and to their world than vengeance, which they understand and love.

⁶⁹ So do they think the loss of sin a curse. And flee the Holy Spirit as if He were a messenger from hell sent from above in treachery and guile to work God's vengeance on them in the guise of a deliverer and friend. What could He be to them except a devil dressed to deceive within an angel's cloak. And what escape has He for them except a door to hell that seems to look like Heaven's gate?

  ⁷⁰ Yet justice cannot punish those who ask for punishment but have a Judge Who knows that they are wholly innocent in truth. In justice, He is bound to set them free and give them all the honor they deserve and have denied themselves because they are not fair and cannot understand that they are innocent. Love is not understandable to sinners because they think that justice is split off from love and stands for something else.

⁷¹ And thus is love perceived as weak and vengeance strong. For love has lost when judgment left its side and is too weak to save from punishment. But vengeance without love has gained in strength by being separate and apart from love. And what but vengeance now can help and save, while love stands feebly by with helpless hands, bereft of justice and vitality and powerless to save? What can Love ask of you who think that all of this is true? Could He, in justice and in love believe in your confusion you have much to give? You are not asked to trust Him far. No further than what you see He offers you and what you recognize you could not give yourself.

⁷² In God's own justice does He recognize all you deserve but understands as well that you cannot accept it for yourself. It is His special function to hold out to you the gifts the innocent deserve. And every one that you accept brings joy to Him as well as you. He knows that Heaven is richer made by each one you accept. And God rejoices as His Son receives what loving justice knows to be his due. For love and justice are not different. Because they are the same does mercy stand at God's right hand and give the Son of God the power to forgive himself of sin.

⁷³ To him who merits everything, how can it be that anything be kept from him? For that would be injustice and unfair indeed to all the holiness that is in him, however much he recognize it not. God knows of no injustice. He would not allow His Son be judged by those who seek his death and could not see his worth at all. What honest witnesses could they call forth to speak on his behalf? And who would come to plead for him and not against his life? No justice would be given him by you. Yet God ensured that justice would be done unto the Son He loves and would protect from all unfairness you might seek to offer, believing vengeance is his proper due.

⁷⁴ As specialness cares not who pays the cost of sin, so it be paid, the Holy Spirit heeds not who looks on innocence at last, provided it is seen and recognized. For just one witness is enough if he sees truly. Simple justice asks no more. Of each one does the Holy Spirit ask if he will be that one, so justice may return to love and there be satisfied. Each special function He allots is but for this-that each one learn that love and justice are not separate. And both are strengthened by their union with each other. Without love is justice prejudiced and weak. And love without justice is impossible. For love is fair and cannot chasten without cause. What cause can be to warrant an attack upon the innocent? In justice then does love correct mistakes, but not in vengeance. For that would be unjust to innocence.

⁷⁵ You can be perfect witness to the power of love and justice if you understand it is impossible the Son of God could merit vengeance. You need not perceive in every circumstance that this is true. Nor need you look to your experience within the world, which is but shadows of all that is really happening within yourself. The understanding which you need comes not of you but from a larger Self, so great and holy that He could not doubt His innocence. Your special function is a call to Him that He may smile on you whose sinlessness He shares. His understanding will be yours. And so the Holy Spirit's special function has been fulfilled. God's Son has found a witness unto his sinlessness and not his sin. How little need you give the Holy Spirit that simple justice may be given you!

⁷⁶ Without impartiality there is no justice. How can specialness be just? Judge not because you cannot, not because you are a miserable sinner too. How can the special really understand that justice is the same for everyone? To take from one to give another must be an injustice to them both, since they are equal in the Holy Spirit's sight. Their Father gave the same inheritance to both. Who would have more or less is not aware that he has everything. He is no judge of what must be another's due, because he thinks he is deprived. And so must he be envious and try to take away from whom he judges. He is not impartial and cannot fairly see another's rights because his own have been obscured to him.

⁷⁷ You have the right to all the universe-to perfect peace, complete deliverance from all effects of sin, and to the life eternal, joyous and complete in every way, as God appointed for His holy Son. This is the only justice Heaven knows, and all the Holy Spirit brings to earth. Your special function shows you nothing else but perfect justice can prevail for you. And you are safe from vengeance in all forms. The world deceives, but it cannot replace God's justice with a version of its own. For only love is just and can perceive what justice must accord the Son of God. Let love decide and never fear that you in your unfairness will deprive yourself of what God's justice has allotted you.

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